Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed in DC District Court

Unconstitutional Violations by DC Government Lead to Man’s Homelessness

Bowser Administration Violated Man’s Civil Rights, Executed Illegal Seizure without Due Process

August 11, 2020, Washington, DC – A lawsuit has been filed in the D.C. District Court today on behalf of Dionte Coley who was forced into homelessness when the Bowser Administration violated his civil rights and illegally confiscated and destroyed his personal property, which included rent money, work papers and identification.

At 3:00pm on June 23, 2020, Mr. Coley was waiting for the bus near the Black Lives Matters Plaza - on his way home. Unbeknownst to Mr. Coley, the Bowser administration had orchestrated a plan to punish protestors and demonstrate her government, not the Trump administration, controlled DC. Beginning at approximately 10 a.m., officers armed with pepper spray and riot gear forcibly cleared Black Lives Matter Plaza, confiscating personal belongings and throwing everything into a garbage truck for disposal.

“The Constitution protects people from unreasonable seizures and prohibits governments from seizing property without due process,” said Jonathan K. Gitlen, Mr. Coley’s Attorney. “What happened to Mr. Coley demonstrates why these protections are so important. What the District did here was egregious, reprehensible and against the law. The man begged the police not to take away his backpack, and through sheer callousness, the MPD couldn’t be bothered.”

The Bowser Administration knew that many of the individuals at the BLM Plaza were not protestors – many were vendors, tourists, medical professionals, and citizens. The administration made no distinction between these groups and gave no notice of the BLM plaza closure or the impending removal action.

“One minute I am waiting for the bus, the next I am shoved by police who take my backpack,” said Coley. “I tried explaining to the MPD officers that I needed my bag in order to work, but no one would help me.”

“I am homeless now because they took my stuff and threw it away like trash,” Coley added “I can’t get a job or pay my rent because the last of my money, my social security card, my birth certificate and all my important papers were in my bag.”

Mr. Coley, through his attorney, has filed a civil lawsuit against Mayor Bowser and senior officials in her administration for compensatory and undisclosed punitive damages.

“It doesn’t matter why Mayor Bowser, or her administration, decided to clear out the protestors from BLM plaza,” Mr. Gitlen stated. “But, when doing so, the Bowser administration had a responsibility to it in a way that protected the Constitutional Rights of everyone there – something they clearly failed to do.”

The complaint can be downloaded at: https://www.dropbox.com/s/495ijgjpxxp2kb3/1.pdf?dl=0